Drugs in Sport

There are five main categories of drug that are banned because experts believe they may give an unfair advantage:

•Anabolic steroids - these help athletes to build muscle, and to recover faster from training;

•Peptide hormones - these are substances that occur naturally in the body, but which produce similar effects to the anabolic steroids;

•Strong analgesic painkillers - such as morphine and other opiates;

•Stimulants - drugs like amphetamines and cocaine can raise the heart rate and may improve performance;

•Diuretics - chemicals that help the body to lose fluids, and may, for instance, be useful in helping boxers to meet their fighting weight.

Types of Drugs used in Sport

But - Some cold and cough remedies include banned stimulants such as ephedrin and pseudo-ephedrin

And

Asthma inhalers contain steroids and Beta blockers are used to treat Heart conditions

Tommy Simpson was one of Britain's most successful cyclists, yet his memory is plagued with controversy after he "rode himself to death".

Bodybuilders v natural bodybuilders

Who Cares? – Let them take what the want…..

Surely the fascination with is just to see what the human body can produce –

The Olympic motto is Fortius, Altius Maximus which means – Stronger, Higher, Faster

But what about Role Models? – the kids see the stars and want to copy them!!!!

Creatine is sold legally over the counter in synthetic form as an amino acid powder. It helps build muscle and speeds recovery from training.

Trypthophan or 5HT - claimed to boost production of the "fight or flight" hormone adrenalin

Glutamine - claimed to reduce fatigue, build muscle and boost the immune system

A recent national newspaper poll of top athletes found that more than half admitted taking Creatine.

All athletes want to get the edge - the line between legal and illegal is easy to cross -

British Cycling:

David Brailsford from the GB team comments, "I think it's fair to say the problem exists… and I think once you accept there is a problem you can go out and openly try to do something about it."

David says that Great Britain is doing something about it, with new programmes being put into place.

Under the new system all riders in Team GB will have to submit to monthly drugs tests. "That way we can ensure that anyone who rides for Britain is clean," explains David.

What more can be done?

• Better tests

• Different sanctions – Zero Tolerance? Lifetime bans? (2 yrs in cycling)

• Spread out prize money – Less need to win!

• Better Education

Every world-class event is somehow tainted by "doping", the use of illicit performance-enhancing drugs.

• Are the Olympic Committee turning a blind eye or in a state of denial

• Is the business side of the games too important?

• The IOC has even been accused of "covering-up" the drug epidemic in sport, but critics contend that the organization has sometimes discarded positive drug test results in fear that the image of the Games would suffer.

Random Drug Testing - How does it work?

The testing officer approaches the sportsman to be tested and shows them his UK Sport accreditation. From this point on they must have the official with them at all times, until the test is complete

The sportsman signs the Sample Collection Form. He gives his name, the event he has been competing in and an address for notification of the test results.

Inside the designated doping control area, the athlete selects a pot to hold their urine sample. They are given a choice of at least three pots.

Having washed their hands, the athlete takes the pot and produces the sample. Their midriff and genitals must be clearly visible so the testing officer can see the urine going directly from body to pot.

The athlete takes a fresh lid from a selection offered by the testing officer and seals the sample.

There must be at least 75 millilitres of urine for the sample to be valid. If the athlete cannot produce enough in one go, the test is put on hold until they can.

The athlete is asked to choose from a selection of sealed sample boxes. While the testing officer dons rubber gloves, they check the seal is unbroken.

Inside the box are the red 'A' and blue 'B' sample bottles. Checking that the seal is unbroken, the athlete tears open the cellophane packaging.

In full view of the tester, the athlete then re-opens his sealed urine sample and pours equal amounts into the 'A' and 'B' samples. He leaves a small amount of urine in the original pot.

The athlete screws lockable lids onto the two sample bottles. The bottles are turned upside down to make certain there is no leakage.

The tester takes the remainder of the sample and checks it to make sure the specific gravity (concentration) and pH (acidity) are within the agreed limits. If the athlete has drunk too much water, the urine may be too weak to be tested.

The sportsman is asked to declare if they have taken any medication in the last seven days, and if so, what product, when and how much. Even a household drug like paracetemol must be included.

The athlete signs having been asked to double-check all the information on the form, from the time and date of test to his or her own name, address and event.

The tester fills in a Chain of Custody form, which states the number of samples, whether they are in or out of competition, the sport and the sport's governing body. The samples are identifiable only by a barcode - there is no reference whatsoever to the athlete's identity. Then they are sent by courier to the Lab.